CAYENNE PEPPER

Common Name: CayenneSpecies:Capsicum annuumSize: Generally 2 to 5 inches long, 1/2 to 1 inch wideShape: Long and slender, tapering to a pointColor: RedScoville Heat Units: 30,000 to 50,000Otherwise Known As: Finger pepper, ginnie pepper, Indian pepperGrown In: Mexico, Asia, and Africa, New Mexico and LouisianaCommonly Used In: Usually powdered as a seasoning, also Louisiana-style hot sauces.

Some Random Facts: The word Cayenne most likely comes from French Guiana, where the capital is Cayenne. Portuguese traders carried the variety around the world, with evidence of its cultivation in home gardens beginning in 1771. Cayenne pepper is well known for its health benefits. It was referred to in 1652 by Nicholas Culpepper as "violent" fruit, useful in many ways, from digestion to improving the sight. It is also widely available today in powdered form to ingest as capsules.